Somebody Else
by lovelyambroses
Summary: Splitting the roster for two separate brands was best for business. For Arden Light's heart? Not so much.
1. Mystery Man

Cursing and sweating, Arden gripped tightly onto her own arm - which was keeping her firmly against him - as she allowed her mind to rest.

She ignored the pain shooting down her arm as she applied significant pressure to her injured wrist. She wasn't about to let some pain keep her from the intense pleasure she was simultaneously receiving.

The wall against her back was cold in comparison to the warmth that his body was radiating off onto hers. Arden couldn't help but bite down a smile that attempted to curl onto her plump lips while she rhythmically moved to the beating of his body on hers. Eventually, they both took one last gulp of air before slowing down to a pause and then separating.

Arden was the first to speak, clearing her throat as she adjusted her top to return it to its more modest positioning. "That was fun," she stated nonchalantly.

He looked at the brown-haired woman with a tired expression, displaying his years of work in a single glance. "That's all you have to say?"

"I'll be sore tomorrow," she added - much to his relief.

Arden raked a hand through her tangled hair. She watched as he dressed himself and imagined her body draped around his, much as it had been moments before. How he could easily pull himself together and walk away after such a rush of hormones flooded both of their bodies was a mystery to her.

Once he was dressed, he rolled his head around his shoulders and looked at her. "Thanks for the warm-up, babe. I needed it."

Arden nodded and smirked. "That's all you have to say?" she asked, mimicking his earlier question.

Her tone brought a full smile to his lips - one that he was slow to remove. His bright blue eyes caught a glimpse of her oceanic blues and she could instantly see her sweaty figure in the reflection. "I'll call you later," he explained before gripping her chin and closing the space between them for a brief moment. His soft lips were rough against hers and without a chance to relish in the romance of the gesture; he left the room and shut the door behind him.

Knowing the routine, Arden waited for ten minutes before exiting. She checked her phone multiple times, responded to some tweets and emails during the waiting period, and then off she went.

* * *

"If someone looked up the word 'messy' in the dictionary, they would find a picture of you."

Arden chuckled at her friend's comment before raking a hand through her thick, brunette hair. "I'm opinionated and I know what I want," she explained as her laugh faded. "How does that make me messy?"

Lana, who had been Arden's friend ever since the two joined NXT at the same time, held up a finger to enumerate her qualities. "You slept with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, effectively ruining both of their relationships."

The brunette shook her head. "Seth's fiancée left him when she found the pictures he sent to that rookie. It had nothing to do with me."

"What about Roman's marriage?"

Arden shrugged. "We only did it once. He didn't have to say anything."

It was true. Arden did ruin Roman's marriage - at least that's what Roman's wife and every Roman Reign's fan said. As for Seth, Arden only made the situation worse by capitalizing on an already broken man. Seth needed comforting that neither his fiancée or the rookie he sexted could provide.

Did she regret the outcomes? Absolutely. Did she regret being the only woman on the planet to sleep with both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns? Hell to the no.

Before Lana responded, the bartender shoved two more shots of tequila in the women's direction. The two downed their shots and continued their banter.

"You love unavailable men," Lana suggested, much to Arden's dismay.

"It's not their unavailability that attracts me. Who can honestly say that they live for having sex with men who don't commit?" Arden shook her head. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

Arden sent her blonde friend a knowing look. "I'm not stupid, you know. I've seen the way you watch those NXT rookies run the ropes. Lashes batting, lip biting, a quick flip of hair over the shoulder... If it weren't for the ring on your finger I wouldn't doubt you'd be all over their muscular bodies."

Lana's jaw fell agape and she teasingly swatted her friend's shoulder with a dry laugh. "I do not watch anybody but my fiancé."

"That's a lie," Arden commented before drowning her words out with her larger glass of whiskey. The blonde-haired woman watched her friend shoot whiskey - something she couldn't do without burning her throat - and scoffed minimally. "What?" Arden asked, placing the empty glass onto the bar.

"Is your throat not crying right now?"

"No... Is it supposed to be?"

Lana shook her head before feeling a warm hand drop down onto her shoulder, which was only covered with the thick strap of a fashionable tank-top. The two were stopping by a bar before they headed back to their hotel for the night. They were heading out of Washington D.C. in the morning and wanted something to take the edge of Battleground off.

"Are you two ladies expecting company?"

Both women looked up, only for Arden to turn away. "Don't you have a soccer mom reference to make, Amore?"

Enzo Amore, crazy hair and all crossed his arms and pouted. "Don't you have a relationship to ruin, Lights?" It was then that the women noticed, a much taller, Cass standing behind him.

Arden chuckled under her breath. "Congrats on your win tonight, boys. It's nice to see, even people I hate, represent the underdogs so well."

Cass sat down and Enzo smirked at the comment. They all knew Arden was joking in her typical sarcastic fashion, so Enzo let it slide. He glanced down at Lana, who was politely remaining quiet, before looking back up at Arden. "It's gonna be weird not having you on RAW with us, Lights."

"Stop calling me that, Amore. My name is Arden."

"Arden...Arden Lights...Lights," he sang to himself as he danced mindlessly in his spot. "It's all the same damn thing."

Arden shook her head and chugged down another shot of tequila. "They didn't draft me anywhere yet," she admitted. "They're waiting for my doctors to clear me before they assign me to a brand. For all we know, they could be debating whether or not to sign me anywhere at all."

"It ain't my place to tell you this, but word around the locker room is that Mick and Steph are doing everything they can to bring you to RAW."

Arden smiled at Enzo's statement while refusing to make eye contact with him. She knew she was a rare breed. The second her feet hit the mat, she lit up like fireworks. There wasn't a single woman in the company that she didn't out-perform, even when she wasn't wrestling. Her promo abilities were unmatched as well.

The only real problem she had was her reputation and it didn't seem to matter how apologetic her excuses were, nobody bought it.

"I don't know," Arden began. "From the looks of it, SmackDown might need some help."

"Carmella has everything over there under control," Cass spoke. He was a giant - a friendly one - who would do anything to defend his girlfriend. Honorable, but it tended to annoy Arden to no end.

Arden nodded. "Aside from the wrestling abilities, I mean. She's good on the mic but not a lot of the other girls are. They could use a little reinforcement."

"Or," Lana added, "You could come over to RAW and win a championship. You, of all people, deserve to hold that belt. I'm sure that Daniel and Shane want you just as badly as Steph and Mick."

Enzo took a seat next to the brown-haired woman, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. "You know that you want to join us at RAW. We're more than just the obvious choice - we're the best choice. You'd be in such good company that the fans would forget all about those scandalous articles you were mentioned in and focus on what you do best."

Arden looked at him before noticing a familiar face lingering in the background. It was hard to see at first - Enzo's hair being wildly good at hiding things - but as soon as her eyes locked onto the tired blue eyes that she'd grown so fond of she couldn't look away.

It was the face of her reason for not wanting to give up on going to SmackDown just yet.

Standing up, Arden didn't bother replying to Enzo's statement. "I'll be right back."

* * *

The situation itself was vaguely familiar.

The actions were all the same. The pain in her wrist was the same. The sweat on the back of her neck was the same. The feeling of a cold surface pressing against her warm body was the same; it just happened to be a different cold surface.

As soon as they wrapped up, Arden watched him dress once again before walking out of the bathroom stall. They had become masters at hiding their meetings by not only locking themselves up in public stalls, but by locking themselves in the restroom all together. It kept unwanted attention away from the intimacy of their encounters.

"You couldn't have picked a more decent place to screw me?"

He slipped his shirt on and ran his hands through his messy hair. "Hotel rooms and empty arena closets aren't that high of a step from public bathrooms."

Arden scoffed. "Really? It took us a few minutes to find a stall that wasn't completely disgusting and even then the smell in here didn't help anything."

"You never said you wanted luxury."

The brunette combed through her hair with her hands as she stared at herself in the mirror. Lana was right. She was a mess. The smudged eyeliner in the outer corner of her eyes and the lip gloss she remembered putting on before heading out to the bar, was missing, both cases displayed just how messy she truly was.

She noticed the slight shift in his stance. It was as if their time together changed something within his bones to where the weight of being such a superstar didn't bear down on his shoulders anymore. Arden didn't know whether her assumption was true, but for all intents and purposes, she believed she was good for him.

"Luxury? No. Decency? Yes, please."

She twirled until she was facing him with a gleaming smile placed on her cheeks. He waltzed over and placed his hands on her hips, supporting her 5'4" frame. The usual twinkle in his eyes was still there, she noticed. He seemed so relaxed just sitting there with his hands on her body. It was as if they were meant to be there, in that moment.

"Decency it is, then. Next time you'll be the one to make plans and show up on my turf unannounced."

"You think my turf is a bar?" Arden held back her offended glare.

"Is it not?" An ovary-pleasing dimple popped up on his cheek and he brushed a fallen strand of hair from Arden's forehead. "Damn you, Arden Lights. I think I have a sweet spot for you."

His words erased whatever offense she'd harbored and left room for her heart to drop into her stomach. "I guess that means you'll take better care of me, then."

"Take better care of you? You think I have anything left of me to do better? I haven't ever fucked anybody that good and you still want more?"

Arden released a tense sigh and stepped away. "Not what I meant," she muttered.

She watched him walk towards the door of the bathroom and wrap his hands around the key in the lock. "Call me whenever you're ready," he called back to her, killing whatever romance was left in the air.

He unlocked the door to leave before bumping into an innocent bystander who looked as if she'd been waiting forever to use the restroom. As soon as he walked away, the young woman shared a shocked expression with Arden.

"Was that Dean Ambrose?"

Arden took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows. "I don't know what you're talking about," she managed to spit out. Arden pushed past the young woman and walked away, sighing in relief as her warm skin hit the cool air from outside the bathroom.

* * *

 **a/n:** _Here it is! I've been working on writing a new story featuring this original character of mine for so long that I was beginning to think it would never happen. Once I heard about the new draft and I finished the brutal poll on my profile (which after nearly a month of being there, still landed in a tie), I finally figured out the concept for this new story! I hope you all come to love Arden and her story as much as I love the ideas running through my head. There are plenty of surprises to come and I can't wait to share it all with you._

 _Please leave a review, (it can be simple and direct!) letting me know if I should continue! As much as I love favorites/follows, reviews are what lets me know that you're all genuinely interested in what's coming next. Thank you in advance!_

 _With love. :)_


	2. Birthday Wishes

"First night of the new era," Lana commented under her breath. "Are you as excited as I am?"

Arden, who was too busy blending her eyeshadow to hear her friend's words, hummed in confirmation.

Lana looked over at the brown-haired woman and rolled her eyes. "You're not hearing a word that I'm saying, are you?"

"Nope," Arden breathed. Sitting back, she blinked rapidly so she could decide whether to continue adding pigment to her eyelids. "Do you think that this is a good look? I don't normally do colors, but the typical bronze-eye was beginning to bore me."

The blonde checked her friend's lids carelessly. "It's fine. I don't know why you're even doing your makeup, considering you won't even be going out there tonight."

Arden scoffed. "I do my makeup when I'm going to the grocery store. Besides, there might not be cameras following me around tonight but there might be a guy or two."

Lana wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to word it. All Arden could think - or talk about - was wrestling and men. In the few years they had known one another, Lana went back and forth between admiring the attention her friend put into her looks and detesting the amount of time she spent listening to Arden complain about the outcomes. The outcomes usually included harassment by male co-workers and slut-shaming by jealous fans.

Despite every chance she had to warn her friend about the dangers of sleeping around - emotional ones since anybody with a brain could think of the physical ones - Lana could never quite get the information to register through Arden's head. She even accepted Rusev's marriage proposal to, in part, prove to Arden that true love exists outside of a casual relationship. Her other reasoning for accepting the proposal had nothing to do with Arden, as she felt ready to call someone _the one_. Even if he wasn't exactly the one she had been looking for initially.

Arden, on the other hand, couldn't care any less about the risks of being in multiple casual relationships. There were no downsides, in her opinion. She didn't have to remember special occasions, buy gifts, meet parents, or even worry about hurting anybody's feelings. She slept with the men she wanted to and left when the sun rose.

One night stands were her WrestleMania's.

Dean, however... Dean played a special part in Arden's story. She met him when she first came to the WWE in 2013. She had just skipped the transition between FCW and NXT, so she was free to rule the developmental territory without having to make a name for herself in the former. Dean was already moving up to the main roster, having joined cahoots with his Shield buddies Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, and he didn't even bat an eyelash in Arden's direction.

Eventually the two connected over a beer. It was the night Seth Rollins betrayed his "brothers" with a - literal, almost - stab in the back. Dean was gushing to the bartender about how badly he wanted to bash his former partner's head in with his fists, only to be saved from a possible arrest by Arden's mysterious expressions.

She gave him one look and he fell onto his knees for her. Once the beer wore off the next morning, he'd realized his mistake and the two didn't contact one another until the Royal Rumble back in January 2015 when she slipped him her number as they were celebrating Roman Reign's win with nearly half of the main roster. Arden, still being in NXT, was taking a leap of faith that Dean would care enough to even read the number, let alone call it. Two weeks later, he did.

They've been fucking ever since.

"What time are you planning on going out there?"

Lana, who had been scrolling mindlessly through her phone, looked up. "Stephanie and Mick said they wanted us backstage at least ten minutes before the show goes live."

"They're really making you all go and stand out on that stage?" Arden shook her head at her own comment. It wasn't an abnormal request by the head of RAW.

"You can come stand with me in line," Lana offered. "Show the world that you've made your choice."

"Nobody has even told me that I get a choice." Arden stood up and shoved her makeup palettes into her suitcase before zipping it up. She didn't trust anybody with her bags; sometimes she didn't even trust Lana. People were always trying to prank Arden for her "sins" against the faces of the company so she got into the habit of watching her own back.

Lana stood as well, dropping her phone into her purse. "Fine. You still have to wait backstage with me, though."

"Don't you have a fiancé to wait with?"

"Rusev is boring sometimes." Lana admitted this with a blank expression, her arms casually crossing across her chest. "I need my favorite person to be standing with me, keeping me company."

Arden smiled brightly at her friend's request. Tossing her arm around the blonde-haired woman's shoulders, Arden began dragging the woman out of the locker room and into the chilling hallway. "If I'm your favorite person, does that mean I get to be your Maid of Honor at the wedding?"

"I do have a sister, you know."

"Your point being..."

"Never mind," Lana responded with a chuckle.

The walk towards the stage was a long one, full of awkward introductions to camera crews and various other wrestlers. Arden knew the entire roster, whether it be from her time down in NXT or her short tenure in the big leagues before her untimely wrist injury, but she wasn't close with anybody but Lana. Everybody else either had no opinions about Arden or was too afraid to contract a disease from shaking her hand. There wasn't really an in between.

Once they reached the mass of RAW personnel, Arden forced herself not to roll her eyes. Everyone was giddy and full of light - things that Arden despised. She promised herself, right then and there, that no matter which brand she signed to that she wouldn't ever smile as bright as Sami Zayn was as he waited to be summoned to the stage.

It was blinding.

Arden released Lana from her grasp and looked to her right, recognizing a familiar face standing off to the side. A smile, calmer than Zayn's, curled onto Arden's lips. She quickly nudged Lana's arm with her elbow and gestured into the direction of the tall man. "Look who it is," Arden commented.

Lana caught a glimpse of the man before turning back to face Arden once again. "So?"

"Oh, please. You totally have the hots for him."

It was Lana's turn to nudge her friend, only her elbow struck Arden's arm much harder than the latter's had. "Rusev is just over there," Lana hissed under her breath.

Arden glanced over at Rusev and rolled her eyes. "So what? It isn't like he can do anything about you having a friendly conversation with your favorite NXT rookie!" Grasping her friend's hand, Arden tugged Lana over towards the taller man. "If it isn't Logan Blackwell."

Logan, hovering over her at six feet, eight inches tall, smiled crookedly at the women. "If it isn't my favorite little women."

"What are you doing here?"

Logan ran a hand through his long hair, which was surprisingly not pulled back. His outfit, much too casual to be ring-ready, reminded Arden of a biker. A biker, that is, who spoke like Vin Diesel and actually trimmed his beard.

"I came to celebrate Finn's birthday," he answered. With a tilt of his head, he got the two women to glance over at Finn Bálor in the middle of the swarming roster.

While Lana remained keen on watching Logan, Arden allowed herself to keep an eye on Finn. He smiled - annoyingly similar to Sami - and stood with a gracefully clumsy appearance. He was obviously being congratulated by many people, having been the first NXT member drafted up and making his debut on his birthday, but Arden could see through the happiness on his lips. He looked troubled. Perhaps it was just stress, but Arden could sense it.

"I forgot you two knew each other. From Japan, right?"

"We were both ready to make a name for ourselves. Japan was the start of everything for the both of us," Logan responded to Arden's comment with a confidence that Lana couldn't help but swoon at. "We used to joke about how different things were in Japan versus everywhere else in the world. Even though he hails from Ireland and I from Detroit...we have so much in common that it's weird."

Arden scoffed. "Sounds like you're in love with him."

Without waiting for Arden to return her eyes to his, Logan refuted. "Definitely not." The man's eyes then drifted off in Lana's direction, catching the hues of her tawny irises, and he didn't break contact. "I'm into women."

Lana held down a gulp of anxiety. "That's cool," she stated - much too stern to sound genuine.

Arden bit back a laugh and looked from her friend up to Logan. "Tell your boyfriend that I wish him a happy birthday."

"Why don't you tell him yourself?"

"Yeah... I'm right here."

Arden felt a wave of warmth fill her cheeks as she turned on her heels. Her breath escaped her in a rush. His eyes were so familiar...

"Aren't 'ya going to wish me a happy birthday?" Finn asked, smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest.

With the last remnants of sanity she still possessed, Arden mimicked him and crossed her own arms. "Happy Birthday, Finn. How old are you? 40? 45?"

"35, actually. I appreciate the sentiment. With age comes wisdom."

"And wrinkles," she added with a smirk of her own. She then peered up at his eyebrows and pursed her lips. "It looks like age is taking its time on you, though. You're lucky."

Finn noticed the teasing and he couldn't refrain from chuckling. A power move, he supposed. She looked ridiculous, trying her best to appear strong and untouched by his presence. To him, although he didn't realize it in the moment, she was absolute perfection.

Her long brunette tresses that perfectly framed her thin face could bring a man to his knees. Her eyes were oceanic and mystifying. Her lips were plump in the right places, only thinning out in the corners to provide ease when smiling. Her skin seemed flawlessly smooth, giving her the best foundation for the sultry expressions she was known to hand out.

Finn wasn't stupid. He knew what people around the locker room said about Arden Lights. Arden _Home-wrecking_ Lights. Her reputation spread like wildfire and no matter how hard he tried not to pay attention to gossip, his ears fell victim to the rumors. Then those rumors became fact and all he had was a painted image of Arden that he couldn't wash from his mind.

Considering how innocent he played in love, he couldn't stop himself from picturing her the way she was described. It was a dangerous area for him to divulge into, so he only allowed his mind to go to those darker places. His body remained in the sunshine.

"Lucky, indeed."

Arden didn't break her stare until shouting came from the front of the group.

"I need everyone to line up! Stand by whoever you want, but don't miss your cue!"

One quick gander behind Finn by Arden at the crew member shouting orders offered Finn enough time to disappear into the crowd and lose Arden's sight. She attempted to cover up her search by casually returning her eyes to Lana every few seconds. Eventually, she gave up and backed away so that she was standing next to Logan behind the RAW roster.

Logan, who opted not to mention the sigh he watched pass through Arden's lips, continued staring ahead. "So, RAW or SmackDown for you?"

Arden didn't look up at her taller friend. She couldn't. There was something gluing her eyes to the mass of people in front of her, although she couldn't understand what. However, she did manage to spit out a quick response.

"I think that decision just got a little tougher."

* * *

 **a/n:** _Here's the newest chapter! The OC Logan Blackwell belongs to **harhar1011** who was kind enough to let me include him in this story. I hope that his addition to this story is well-received. _

_Thank you so much for the response on the first chapter! I appreciate everyone's support very much and I cannot wait to show you all what I have in store for the future of Arden's story. Let me know what your thoughts on this chapter were by leaving a quick review! If you are a fellow author on this site then you know how wonderful it is to hear from the people who read your stories. It just means so much!_

 _With love. :)_


	3. Discomfort

Her eyes were on Dean, strutting around the center of the ring with his freshly-polished championship draped on his shoulder, but her mind was someplace else. Ireland, specifically.

Arden's encounter with Finn shook her core so violently that she spent half of the night replaying it repeatedly. She could still feel the strange warmth from his breath on her nose, even though he was hardly any taller than she was. His eyes were still so vibrant that she couldn't misplace them.

She raked a hand through her hair as she remembered Finn's eyes. They were familiar in an unrecognizable way. It was as if she had seen his eyes a thousand times before, but for some reason in that moment, they looked different. There was a different emotion hiding behind them that she felt as if only she could see.

His soul was trapped within the barrier of his skin, but she could grab a glimpse of it through those eyes. Those blue, blue eyes.

Returning her eyes to the screen above her, Arden watched as Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon called various Superstars into the ring. She wondered just how many bodies needed to stand on the ring's apron in order for the ring to collapse. The image of each Superstar falling as the ring caved in brought a visible smile to Arden's thin lips, but there was nobody around to spot the twisted expression.

Dean was so charismatic that her stomach burned. He walked around that ring like a god, but she knew that with the snap of a finger he would be on his knees for her. It was such a shame that nobody else could see how quick he transitioned from powerful to weak once he laid eyes on her. She was sure that witnesses were needed in order for it to make any sense; nobody would expect Dean to be the kind of person to switch things up like that. Nobody would believe her.

Her thoughts blurred her eyesight until she didn't see the figures moving across the screen, so she didn't notice when the segment ended and the screen faded to black.

"Who do you think it'll come down to?"

Arden jerked her head up at the voice. She forced a half-smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear for comfort. "Uh, I'm leaning towards Ziggler. AJ has a good chance, though. I think you two would put on a good show."

"Who cares about the show?" Dean adjusted his championship over his shoulder as if he wanted to make sure people across the hall could see how important he was. "I just want someone to get in that ring with me who can keep up."

"You act like you've never had a solid match before."

"Solid? I'm always solid when I'm in that ring. It's this new roster I'm worried about."

Arden nodded and glanced around. She watched various members of the SmackDown roster walk past them, some staring in awe and others rolling their eyes, and she crossed her arms. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly so nervous.

"Arden?"

She looked back up at him when she realized how long she'd been staring off into the distance. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm just a little distracted today."

Dean sent her a concerned look, which took the both of them by surprise. "Are you sick or something?"

"Or something, probably."

"Have you seen a medic?"

"It's not that serious, Dean. I'm fine." She took a deep breath as if she spent her energy trying to convince herself. Her mind was so muddled with random thoughts that she couldn't remember what had gotten her off on this thought-tangent.

He didn't believe her, but he didn't push it.

She cleared her throat again, straining it just a bit. "Are you busy tonight?"

"After the show?"

"No, right now." She spared him the sarcastic glance. "Yes, after the show."

"Most likely," he answered. He checked to make sure their conversation was private before leaning in slightly to further hide his words. "The other night wasn't enough for you, or something?"

"Or something," she repeated.

Dean nodded. He didn't mind some more action. "Meet me at the hotel."

"Aren't you supposed to catch a flight out of here tonight?"

Her question was answered with his shrug. "I'll get out of here eventually. I'm the champ. They can't put on a show without me." He winked at her before walking off and merging into a small crowd of people who were headed towards the catering section.

Arden watched Dean disappear behind a corner before she turned back to the monitor, which was showing a recap of what occurred the previous night on RAW. It started with a few clips showing the random wrestlers that stood on the stage before the show really began. Everything was slow-paced and backed with a dramatic soundtrack. She shook her head in embarrassment as she worked for a company that did everything they could to make their most important moments appear cheesy and just...well, just bad.

It wasn't until the blue-eyed savior stepped out from behind the crowd of superstars that Arden's thoughts changed.

Finn's stance was one of royalty. He didn't tower over the other men behind him, but if you weren't paying attention to height and only minding their confidence then you would never be able to tell. Her eyes trailed down his body, which was only covered by an open leather jacket that couldn't have possibly fit him any better than it did. Her mouth watering, she bit her bottom lip.

Once she realized how pathetic she looked - staring at a screen and not the real Finn - Arden walked away quickly. She wanted to save herself from being scolded by a pacing crew member who was too into his or her job to realize that not every little thing was a case for the bosses. The absolute last thing she wanted was for some part-time employee to watch her swoon in the halls and then word get back to Stephanie or - God forbid - Vince. It was completely unprofessional for someone to get, for lack of a better term, heated at work.

As long as all was kept PG - which Arden was _definitely_ not - nobody would care. That's how she wanted to keep it.

* * *

Arden sighed as Dean leaned over and pressed his mouth to her neck. She felt his hand dip down just below her hip bone and caress her inner thigh, causing her to shiver. As his hand moved closer and closer to her center, Arden wrapped her hand around his and guided him.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, surprised.

She looked at his lips as she spoke. "Helping out."

"I think I can do this on my own."

"As could I - but since we're both here, why don't we just work together?"

Despite his verbal confusion, he allowed her to lie back. Draping his body next to hers, he propped himself up with one elbow and rubbed his other hand against her womanhood - still being guided by Arden's fingers. Their eyes were locked together and they hardly blinked just so they didn't have to miss anything.

Arden was the first to blink, but as soon as her eyelids touched, she kept them closed. Her mind was gone, running through various fields of elements that weren't easy to think of without getting distracted. She didn't realize how hard she had begun biting her lip as she remembered Finn's appearance on the RAW recap until a slight tingling began under her bottom lip.

Her breathing became heavier and she methodically took over Dean's job. She couldn't help herself; Dean didn't know what she was thinking about. For all he knew, she was thinking about him - which she often did when she touched herself - but her conscience wouldn't let her allow him to touch her while he wasn't on her mind.

In her mind, her fingers were actually Finn's. He was in place of Dean on the bed. His breath was hovering over her skin, leaving goosebumps in its path. When she opened her eyes and looked into Dean's eyes, they were Finn's. That's when she realized why Finn's eyes were so familiar.

With one hand circling around her womanhood, Arden grasped Dean's bicep with her free hand. Pulling herself up, Arden ceased her masturbation and took calming breaths. Why did she feel so guilty? It wasn't as if Dean knew of her dirty deeds.

"What happened to working together?"

* * *

Arden sat inside the cold restaurant alone, waiting for Logan to show up. After they bumped into each other backstage at RAW, they kept in touch long enough to schedule a friendly luncheon at their favorite local - well, local in comparison to the arena they were performing at - burger joint.

Swirling her straw around her icy water, Arden scratched the back of her neck. She was uncomfortable. It wasn't because of Logan. Logan was one of her friends and had been since they met in NXT. It was because of Dean. She couldn't go more than three seconds without thinking about the heart-eating guilt that she couldn't wrap her mind around. They weren't dating and they weren't in love, but she didn't like the regret she felt from kissing him while tasting Finn's lips.

Oh how she wished she knew what Finn's lips tasted like.

Before her cheeks could grow any redder, a warm hand gently squeezed her shoulder. She looked up and smiled. "Hey."

"Expecting someone particular?"

Arden rolled her eyes and tossed a menu at Logan once he seated himself. "I'm just waiting for some lame ass wrestling friend of mine. He's nothing special."

Logan smirked and placed the menu down on the table. He ran a hand through his beard. "I'm sure he isn't _that_ bad."

"You have no idea, man."

A handful of chatty conversations and placement of their individual orders later, both Arden and Logan were sitting in silence while they awaited the arrival of their meals. Arden, in spite of her discomfort, was the first to speak.

"When are you planning on wreaking havoc up in the main roster?"

Her question brought a hefty chuckle out of Logan. "I could ask the same to you. You were up there until you nearly snapped your hand off of your wrist."

Arden twirled her wrist around, displaying the successful healing. "I'm all patched up. I'm just weighing my options now."

"RAW has the championship and Lana. I'm surprised you didn't jump out on stage on Monday just to stand with that woman."

" _That woman_ has already given me an earful of reasons on why I should accept a spot with the red roster. But, I hear that Daniel and Shane are planning to create their own women's championship over there for the blue."

Logan nodded and leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table. "So, put championships aside then. What's your reason for wanting to go blue?"

She couldn't tell him. They were friends, but Lana came first. If she didn't have the guts to reveal her affairs with Dean to Lana then there was no way she would be able to roll the words off her lips for Logan's ears. It wasn't possible.

"There's no reason," she lied. She stared at her half-empty glass of water and avoided looking back up at the man in front of her. "Maybe I just want to compete with the girls over on the other side. It's something different. I'm sure that Lana would understand that."

Logan shrugged and smoothed his hand over his hair, which was casually tightened in a ponytail. "Speaking of Lana... We didn't really get to talk on Monday. How is she?"

Arden jerked her head up and noticed the sparkle in his pure eyes. "She's good. Why do you ask?" She knew why he was asking.

"I'm a gentleman," he promised. He could tell that her mind was misplaced, but he didn't say more.

Just as she was about to push the subject, their waiter brought over a round tray that held their food. She watched his eyes continue to sparkle through the steam coming off of their food, and without fail, they continued. Repressing a smile, Arden opted not to mention the dangerous twinkle.


	4. Welcome to RAW

"We should be getting out of bed now."

"We will later." Arden looked up from Dean's chest where her head was previously resting. "I'm too comfortable right now."

Dean tightened his grip around Arden's body, tugging her closer to him so that her hand, which was propping her head up, was digging subtly into his skin. His action confused Arden, who thought that he'd want to kick her out of the room so he could take a shower. She shrugged the feeling off.

"SmackDown or RAW?"

Dean's face twisted. "What kind of question is that?"

"I need to start narrowing down my choices."

"Unless you're planning on going back down to NXT, you only have two choices. It can't get any narrower."

Arden rolled out of his grasp so that she was on her back next to him. Pulling the sheets up above her body, she crossed her arms. "Maybe I should just go back down. It would be less stress and it's neutral ground."

"Neutral ground? The brands are competing but nothing is like war just yet."

"Not the brands alone, no." She could tell that he was about to inquire further so she stopped him. "I just want to make the best decision for my career. I want to go somewhere I'll be appreciated and my talent will be utilized."

Dean ran a hand down his face and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't know what to tell her. He would love her to join his roster; it would mean frequent booty calls and lengthy stares across hallways. They would be at the same hotels and could coordinate their busy schedules.

What he felt for her was nowhere near love, but he didn't want to lose her. He was fine with things the way they were. At least, the way they were before the draft returned. They used to have sex and dismiss conversations deeper than "how was your day?" and "are you hungry?" and they never grew. The draft had only been in effect for four days and they were already expanding their casual sex into something deeper. He didn't hate it, but he wasn't the biggest fan.

Clearing his throat, Dean shrugged. "Where do you think you'll get used more?"

"In terms of wrestling or otherwise?"

He smirked. "If you came to SmackDown, I can guarantee that you'd enjoy yourself."

Arden sat up and moved so that she was atop of him. "Oh, yeah?"

Dean sat up as well and closed the gap between them by pressing his lips to hers. The move shocked Arden, who was used to the lack of romantic gestures. Casual sex usually came with no romance.

However, she didn't mind. She kissed him back and forgot all about their conversation.

* * *

Aside from the red lights, the atmosphere at RAW was the same as SmackDown to Arden. Once she noticed the fact, Arden reprimanded herself for adding that fact to her enumerated list of reasons for choosing the different brands.

Random people introduced themselves to her, but Arden managed to push past them so that she was alone. She didn't mind talking to people. It was just the people she didn't care for that she didn't want anything to do with.

She continued walking until she was at the end of an empty hallway. Unaware of the eyes that were watching her, Arden sat down on the cold floor. She needed to charge her phone, so she did just that and replied to various texts from Lana, Logan, and other people she only associated with for the sake of work. It wasn't until she finished typing out her replies that she could feel the presence of someone else near her, so she shot her eyes up.

"Seth?"

Seth Rollins, with his arrogance and all, stood above her. She hadn't noticed him until he happened to be standing a mere three feet away, so she didn't have anywhere to run and hide.

"What are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes at his question and dropped her phone down into her lap. "Why does it matter to you?"

"See - that makes me think that you're here to see me."

"Why the fuck would I come all the way here just to see you? I can turn my TV to RAW and ignore you for free."

Seth smirked, confusing Arden. "I've always admired that sarcastic attitude of yours. It reminds me of simpler times."

"You mean back when you cheated on your fiancée with me?"

"That's the one," he stated simply. Ignoring her obvious discomfort, he continued. "You know, I'm not engaged to anybody anymore. That makes whatever is bound to happen between us totally innocent."

Arden, in light of the obvious tension, scoffed. "The only thing bound to happen between us is my knee between your legs, Rollins." She couldn't care less about her phone needed to be charged at that point, so she tugged the cord out of the wall and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't want anything to do with you."

Seth stopped the brown-haired woman from going anywhere by gripping onto her wrist. "C'mon, Lights. You know that you want me."

"Want you?" Another scoff. "More like, I want to kick you in the throat."

The man shook his head and pulled her so that she was facing him and they were only inches apart. "Don't you remember how much fun we had? Don't you want to relive that?"

"Why would I want to relive the time where you told everybody that we slept together after your engagement had already ended? Nobody had to know anything that happened between us but you couldn't handle that you were the only one being punished for your actions. Now people see me and think that I'm just a home wrecking whore. Does that sound like something I'd like to relive?"

Before Seth could respond, a third voice came from behind them. "Is there a problem here?"

The voice was familiar enough to take Arden's eyes off of Seth's face. She wasn't expecting to hear that thick Irish accent so soon into the night, but now that it was lingering in the air, she didn't know how to react.

Seth, who was in the midst of an already heated rivalry with Finn, released Arden from his grasp. "Why don't you go worry about figuring out how to beat me?"

"Is that the best you've got, lad?" Finn chuckled and shook his head. When Arden finally turned around and their eyes met, Finn's smirk faded away and his eyes displayed nothing but motiveless concern. "Are you okay?"

All she could do was nod and mutter a simple 'yes'.

Seth took a cautionary step away from Arden and held his hands up. "Before this goes where it shouldn't, I'm going to walk away." He flashed Arden a quick smirk out of Finn's sight, which he hoped would sting. It did, but she said nothing of it.

Finn waited for Seth to leave the hallway before he turned back to Arden. "Are you sure you're alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Arden relaxed enough to move her jaw and make out some words. "I'm fine, really. He was just being a dick."

"I figured as much. I just don't like seeing pretty girls get worked up over guys like that."

She couldn't hide her small smile, but she didn't emphasize her joy in seeing him. "Thanks," she managed to say.

"No need to thank me for honesty." He smiled back at her before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Why do you keep popping up on RAW? Don't you have an injury to heal or something of the sorts?"

Arden held up her wrist, showing the bare skin. "No cast, no injury."

"I don't think your doctors would agree with that one."

"I'm not wrestling on it, so they don't have to agree with anything." She shrugged. "As for why I'm here... I guess I'm looking for reasons to sign a contract here."

Finn nodded. "I've heard Daniel and Shane are working out a new women's championship for the blue roster. Are you sure that you don't want to sign with them?"

She looked up at his eyes. How did they get so bright? She'd seen a few of his matches from various independent circuits, so she knew he wasn't always as innocent as he appeared before her, but he could've fooled her easily. His sugary smile. His elegantly combed hair. Those damning eyes. Everything about him screamed sweet and pure. If only someone could say the same about her.

"I'm not so sure of who I want to sign with," she admitted. She'd had that same conversation with a dozen people, but hearing Finn discuss it with her made the topic sound fresh. "I'll figure it out. I'm not so sure I'd be welcomed with open arms by either roster, all things considered."

Aware of her reputation, Finn could only nod. He didn't really care about the gossip regardless of any truth behind it, but he did know that he didn't need to know the truth to have an opinion about Arden. She was kindhearted from everything he'd seen, which was all the proof he needed to know that she wasn't a bad person.

"If we're being honest," Finn began, "I would welcome you with open arms."

Arden bit back a smile. "I'm sure you would."

"I also think you would give Charlotte and Sasha a run for their money."

"Well, since we're being honest, I think that you'd make one hell of a champ." In all honesty, Arden didn't really care who the first Universal Champion was as long as it wasn't Seth. He didn't need to be walking around with proof of how good he was when he never shuts up about it.

Her compliment brought a warmth to Finn's chest. "I'm glad you think that. I might have to beat Rollins a little harder, just for you."

"Sounds like a plan."

"It does," he returned.

Arden wrapped her charging cord around her phone and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, I know that you must have a busy night ahead of you."

"Eh, just going to beat up Seth Rollins probably."

"For what just happened?" Panic flashed through her eyes. "Please, don't do that for me. I don't need anybody to fight my battles for me."

Finn chuckled. "Sweetheart, I was already going to beat his egotistical ass up tonight. You just gave me a little more motivation." He shot her a sly wink before walking off without letting Arden argue.

* * *

Arden watched Seth deliver a speech with her hands over her eyes. She knew that Finn was going to jump out from behind a fan or slide out from under the ring at any moment, and the idea that he was doing it in her honor was terrifying for some reason.

She didn't want to feel responsible for anybody's beating. Despite Seth's distasteful personality, she still didn't want to.

To her surprise, Finn didn't jump out from anywhere. He simply walked down to the ring like a gentleman with a microphone in his hand. Seth was still shocked to see him, but it wasn't anything unusual.

Seth wasn't shy in showing his anger towards the Irish wrestler, though. "What the hell are you doing in _my_ ring? Nobody summoned you. Why don't you just go on backstage and worry about learning how to speak proper English?"

His comments caused both Arden and Finn's eyes to roll. He wasn't _that_ stupid, right?"

"Actually, I speak English just fine." Finn allowed the crowd to settle before saying anything else. "In fact, I speak English well enough to say a lot of things that nobody backstage would have the guts to say to you."

"Like what, exactly?"

Finn didn't bother hesitating. "Like how you don't deserve the Universal Championship as much as you think you do."

Arden shrugged from her seat backstage. It was the truth.

Seth, on the other hand, wasn't amused. "You think you're so special since you were in the top five picks for the RAW draft, don't you?" The crowd roared at his words. It was obvious that everybody loved Finn Bálor. "Well, newsflash - you aren't! I was the number _one_ pick. That proves that the company thinks I'm more than deserving of _my_ Universal Championship."

"Deserving..." Finn nodded and backed up. "That's a funny word, ain't it?"

Arden, who had no idea where this was headed, furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't realize that her palms were sweating, but they were.

"For someone who doesn't treat people the way they deserve to be treated, you talk a lot of crap, Rollins."

Seth pursed his lips. "I don't have a clue as to what you're referring to."

"I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. I mean, the entire world was watching when your private photos circulated the internet. Then, once your fiancée left you, you decided to turn the page by blaming someone else for your mistakes."

Arden's entire body tensed up. _He wouldn't..._

"I'm going to stop you right there, Bálor-"

"Why? Because you know that I'm right?"

"Because you're out of line!"

Finn scoffed. "That's golden, coming from you. Don't you think that's what Arden said when you blasted her name all over the 'net?"

The entire crowd, once they popped, grew silent. Arden couldn't move. She didn't know how to function. He did exactly what he said he wouldn't. Now she was in the middle of it all.

Seth didn't know what to say either. He had already been reprimanded for his actions by Stephanie and her husband, so he knew that pushing Finn over the edge with a rebuttal would be bad news for his career. He cleared his throat and raked a hand through his wet hair, but took too long to respond.

"At SummerSlam," Finn began, "I'm not only going to become the first ever Universal Champion, but I'm going to put you in your place. And, I'm going to do it for everyone you've ever walked over to get to where you are today."

Arden tuned out. She couldn't hear it anymore.

 _Looks like you don't have a choice, Arden. Welcome to RAW._

* * *

 **a/n:** _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what your thoughts were!_

 _With love. :)_


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